MSMS student recieves Siemen’s Award

February 28, 2009

A local student has been recognized for his remarkable achievements in the areas of science and math.

Alex Qiong Wang, son of Robert Rossie and Julie Zhu, a student and senior at the Mississippi School for Math and Science, recently found out he was a winner of the Siemen''s Award for Advanced Placement.

Wang is originally from China, but moved to Clinton in 2004, where he attended school for three years until coming to MSMS last year.

The award Wang received is based upon the number of perfect scores achieved on the science and math Advanced Placement tests. Wang scored perfect on two of the AP Chemistry and AP Physics tests, and two of the AP Calculus tests. Only about 100 Siemen''s Awards -- which come complete with a $2,000 scholarship -- are handed out each year.

Wang isn''t sure where exactly he''s heading after high school, but he already has been accepted to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, The California Institute of Technology and Mississippi State University.

While science appears to be Wang''s passion, his interests cover the spectrum.

"I play chess and a few musical istruments," Wang said. "I play the clarinet, flute, alto saxaphone, harmonica and piano. Clarinet is my first instrument, I''ve played it for five years."

"He''s a great student," MSMS Chemistry Professor Dr. Nancy MacNeill said. "He''s bright in class. I like him because when he''s in class he doesn''t waste a lot of time with stupid questions. The questions he asks indicate he''s already figured out what we''re talking about. It''s always like he''s a quantum leap above everybody in terms of what he''s processing and the connections he''s making -- sometimes even connections you never thought of yourself."